This invention relates to an emergency power station and in particular to a stand-by electrical power installation that is self-activated during a power outage. The stand-by power installation has particular application for traffic control signals where a power failure may have serious consequences. In such an environment, the power station is unattended and subject to the elements including potential vandalism. Therefore, a power station of this type must comprise a stand-alone unit that has a protective housing and occupies minimal space, particularly in the intended preferred use as an auxiliary power supply for traffic control signals.
In any traffic management system, it is often critical to maintain traffic control at certain intersections or locations in the event of a municipal power failure. Ordinarily, when a power failure occurs, a traffic officer may be dispatched to the location of the signal failure to maintain the orderly flow of traffic, until the municipal power is resumed, or, in the case of a back-up system, a portable power generator is brought to the scene and connected to the control signals.
In addition to the substantial use of man-power under emergency conditions that may be pervasive during a power outage, there is an unavoidable delay before orderly control can be established. During this time an accident may occur that may cause serious injury, or at least, further add to the congestion that inevitably results from the operational failure of traffic control signals.
The advantage of a permanent, on-site, back-up power station is evident. However, to solve the problem of delay in attending to the outage, the emergency power station must be intelligent and able to activate itself when the power outage occurs, and deactivate when the primary power is resumed.